The present invention pertains to portable grease guns, whether manually operated or driven by air power or by electric batteries. Typical hand operated grease guns include a piston which forces grease from a nozzle, the grease being fed to the compression chamber from an attached mounted barrel containing bulk grease or a grease cartridge. Most existing grease guns provide only one output pressure of the grease expressed from the gun.
Frequently the user of a grease gun encounters a grease zerk which will not accept grease because it is seized or clogged. In that case, little can be done without replacing the zerk to correct the problem. One prior art grease gun requires changing position of the handle to adjust the mechanical advantage. This device cannot provide the 5:1 ratio pressure increase needed to overcome a resistant zerk. Another prior art grease gun uses a complex labyrinth and a mechanical switch to engage or disengage a ball check valve to vary pressure of grease exiting the grease gun. This device does not permit supply to the grease gun from an attached barrel and therefore the portability and versatility of the device is limited.
The foregoing problems are addressed by the present two stage grease gun invention.